A Strategic Action Plan to Develop the Tourism and Entertainment Clusters in Hollywood, California. For the Mayor of Los Angeles, SRI defined the tourism industry and identified trends in industry employment, establishments, and payroll over the last five years. SRI facilitated public/private sector working groups to identify the key issues facing the industry and craft solutions. The project resulted in the creation of a non-profit corporation, the Hollywood Economic Alliance, which is currently implementing the following eight Action Plans: Business Improvement District; Business Incubation & Assistance; Destination Marketing and Visitor Center; Keeping Our Streets Safe; Hollywood Business Team (Retention); Hollywood Education and Training Partnership; Hollywood Public Relations Campaign; and Smart Hollywood (Infrastructure).
Comprehensive Tourism Development Blueprints for the Czech and Slovak Republics. SRI crafted strategic, long-term tourism development plans for the Czech and Slovak Republics. The team identified market segments for targeting and designed a marketing strategy for those segments. The tourism development plans included initiatives for new product development; labor force training needs assessment; community-based tourism development; heritage tourism; and environmentally sustainable tourism development. Significant resources were invested into providing cluster government officials and training specialists with a panoramic understanding of their countries’ place in the international tourism industry.
Connecticut Tourism Product Development Strategy. SRI crafted a Tourism Product Development Strategic Plan to guide the overall development of the industry in the State of Connecticut. SRI outlined significant trends in the tourism industry; reviewed case studies of successful product development strategies in other states across the county; and conducted a SWOT analysis of Connecticut’s tourism sector. SRI’s Ten Year Implementation Plan identified strategic investment opportunities; defined criteria for state investments; outlined outreach and growth strategies for existing tourism assets; recommended transportation enhancements; assessed training and education needs; and described initiatives, schedules, organizational responsibilities, and measurable benchmarks to enhance industry competitiveness in the state.
Developing a World-Class Hotel Classification System for Bahrain. For the Kingdom of Bahrain, SRI developed a new comprehensive, quality-oriented, internationally comparable and acceptable hotel classification and rating system. The new classification was designed based on analysis of international hospitality trends and recognized best practices, and an assessment of the current Bahraini system. The team developed mechanisms to measure the standards of existing and future properties in a systematic and objective manner, outlined an enforcement/inspection system that is supported by law, and provided initial evaluation ratings for each lodging property in Bahrain. The new system is designed to enhance the tourism image of Bahrain by enabling prospective visitors to easily understand and differentiate between the different types and quality of accommodations available. In addition, it is intended to facilitate hotel investment in Bahrain according to a clear understanding of quality standards.
Economic Impact of a Golf-Based Resort on the Curaçao Economy. On behalf of the Central Bank of the Netherlands Antilles, SRI conducted a comprehensive economic impact study to determine the effects and benefits of a proposed tourism resort, to include a Pete Dye-designed, 18-hole golf course. SRI developed a tailored economic model, and calculated the micro, sectoral and macro impacts of this resort, which could serve as a catalyst to accelerating tourism growth on Curacao.
Egypt Tourism Workforce Development: SRI designed and managed the implementation of a large-scale tourism workforce training program in Egypt, in collaboration with the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Federation of Egyptian Tourism Industries, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. This highly successful program trained more than 10,000 hospitality workers in an 18-month period on international hospitality standards. SRI designed the training program structure, provided ongoing evaluations and impact assessments, and developed a financial model to help the Federation design a financially sustainable training structure for the hospitality industry.
The Economic Impact of Native American Culture on the New Mexico Tourism Industry. In this project, SRI International developed a research methodology for measuring the economic impact of Native American reservations on the tourism industry in New Mexico. SRI developed a quantitative model which estimated the economic value of tourism visits to New Mexico attributable to Indian reservations. In the model, the SRI team included traveler survey data on total visitors, visits to reservations and other Indian attractions, visitor spending patterns, and direct and indirect tourism employment impacts. The team also assessed the fiscal impact of Indian attractions on the state budget.
Theme Park Feasibility Assessment in South Florida. At the request of Dade County, Florida, SRI assessed the feasibility of developing a theme park in the County. The SRI team analyzed visitor flows, consumer trends, and tourism infrastructure in southern Florida, and drafted a feasible development and investment attraction plan for theme park development.
Tourism Master Plan for Pennsylvania. SRI applied the industry cluster methodology to develop a strategic tourism master plan for the State of Pennsylvania. The SRI team conducted a series of assessments, including SWOT, industry cluster segments, tourism industry trends and competition, and consumer segmentation, and identified best practices for statewide tourism development using examples from six other states. SRI conducted dozens of focus groups with stakeholders across the state, which provided valuable input for the development of a strategic tourism master plan for Pennsylvania. SRI recommendations formed the blueprint of the statewide tourism development initiative.
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